ashraf ghani

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office in 2017, according to senior administration officials, casting aside his promise to end the war on his watch and instead ensuring he hands the conflict off to his successor. Continue reading →

In our news wrap Thursday, the Afghan government announced that security forces had regained control of the city of Kunduz from Taliban forces overnight, though fighting continued in some places after daybreak. Also, the United Nations refugee agency says it expects 1.4 million migrants and refugees to arrive in Europe this year and next. Continue reading →

One of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s most well-received lines in his speech before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday was his pledge to have Afghanistan stand on its own two feet. “We are not going to be the lazy Uncle Joe,” he said to laughter and applause. Continue reading →

President Obama announced that the U.S. would scale back the pace of its promised troop pullout from Afghanistan, retaining current forces this year. Gwen Ifill interviews President Ashraf Ghani about thawing relations with the U.S., potential changes in how Pakistan differentiates between terror groups and whether the threat of the Islamic State might drive the Taliban to the negotiating table. Continue reading →

WASHINGTON — The White House said Tuesday the U.S. will keep its current complement of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015, instead of cutting the number by about half as originally planned. Continue reading →

The United States is considering slowing its military exit from Afghanistan by keeping a larger-than-planned troop presence this year and next because the new Afghan government is proving to be a more reliable partner, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Saturday. Continue reading →

The Afghanistan war, the longest in American history, came to a formal close on Sunday. The U.S. combat mission has been winding down since 2010, but the Taliban has been mounting a resurgence, making 2014 the war’s deadliest year. Jeffrey Brown reports. Continue reading →

As the U.S. combat mission ends in Afghanistan, those Americans who are staying in the country will move to a role of training and supervision. Sean Carberry of NPR speaks with Jeffrey Brown about the capabilities of Afghanistan’s military forces, goals of the country’s new President Ashraf Ghani and how much life has changed for the citizens since the start of the war. Continue reading →

Four attacks on foreigners took place in Afghanistan on Thursday, the latest in a string of bombings by the Taliban. Speaking from Kabul, New York Times foreign correspondent Rod Nordland tells Judy Woodruff what is unusual about the most recent attacks and how President Ashraf Ghani’s relationship with the U.S. will affect the Taliban. Continue reading →

After months of waiting through a contested election, the U.S. has settled with Afghanistan’s new leadership on a security agreement for the transition toward Afghan security self-reliance. Former State Department official Barnett Rubin talks to Jeffrey Brown about whether President Ashraf Ghani will prove a reliable ally, as well as what we’ve learned from American involvement in Afghanistan. Continue reading →